Hot Topics:

Residents, leaders take a peek at Louisville's next 20 years

City council to vote on adoption of comprehensive plan update on May 7

By John Aguilar Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
04/16/2013 10:18:04 PM MDT

Updated:
04/16/2013 10:52:58 PM MDT

LOUISVILLE -- Residents and city leaders wrestled with Louisville's next 20 years, as finishing touches on an update to the city's comprehensive plan were discussed and vetted Tuesday night.

The City Council decided to push its decision on whether to adopt the plan to its May 7 meeting.

Louisville has been crafting an update to the comprehensive plan for the better part of a year, holding a series of community meetings and public hearings.

The plan, which was created in 2005 and last updated in 2009, is a guiding document that helps the city decide how to plan for the future while preserving the values it deems crucial.

"Over the next 20 years, what do we expect will happen?" Louisville Planning Director Troy Russ asked. "How much industrial, how much retail and how many housing units will there be? What will be the demand on the transportation system, and what will be the fiscal demand on the city?"

One new element in the discussion this time is the fact that Louisville has essentially run out of vacant land on which to build new homes -- something known to planners as "greenfield" development. The last significant parcels for residential development were claimed by the Steel Ranch and North End neighborhoods, which broke ground along Colo. 42 in the last few years.

"We have master-planned and zoned the entire city," Russ said. "The next stage is infill."

Advertisement

One infill concept that could eventually change the feel and look of McCaslin Boulevard, according the comprehensive plan, is bringing homes to Centennial Valley just north of U.S. 36. Russ said carefully planned residential units in what is now a big-box retail district could help spur shopping for those looking for a more pedestrian-friendly environment.

Some residents worry the plan might invite overly dense development, saying it would allow another 800 multifamily units beyond the hundreds already in the planning stage.

Sid Vinall, head of the Citizens Action Council, said his group's concerns stem from the contentious battle that was waged last year over what to do with the vacant Safeway property on South Boulder Road. During that saga, dozens of residents condemned a proposal to build 195 high-end apartments on the site, calling it too dense and too tall for the surrounding neighborhood.

The project was eventually scaled back to 110 units and was packaged with a 22,000-square-foot Alfalfa's Market.

"We've all been talking about the small-town character and small-town feel of Louisville, and no one has really defined what that is," Vinall said. "I think we're concerned about the size and number of units the city is proposing."

Vinall said his group conducted a survey of Louisville residents that showed a strong dislike for increasing the number of multifamily residential buildings beyond what is now planned.

"That is what most people are saying," he said. "We don't want to go in that direction."

Resident Bruce MacKenzie said the comprehensive plan is "way to aggressive."

"It's just an obvious excuse to build, build, build and then build some more,” he said.

But Russ said the comprehensive plan actually lowers the density caps in some of the city's corridors and leaves it up to individual neighborhoods -- through a future "small area plan" process -- to pinpoint densities and identify zoning in different parts of the city.

Some residents defended the plan. Resident Carlos Hernandez said the plan was inclusive and recognizes that millions of people will be moving to the Front Range over the next 20 years.

"Like it or not, they are going to want to live in the best city in Colorado,” he said.

Steve Brauneis and Cary Tengler, who serve on the city's planning commission, also expressed approval for the comprehensive plan.

Boulder is pretty good at producing rock bands, and by "rock," we mean the in-your-face, guitar-heavy, leather-clad variety — you know, the good kind. For a prime example, look no farther than BANDITS. Full Story